5 Simple Ways to Talk. Read. Sing. More With Your Kids

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of First 5 California. The opinions and text are all mine.

When we had our third baby I always felt like I knew it all when it came to parenting and yet with each new baby I learned even more. I’ve also learned how to parent each of my children and how to approach their personalities. One thing I vowed with each of my kids was to do more of the simple things: talk, read, sing. Having little girls, we’ve come to do a lot of those things so I wanted to share some ways that we incorporate more talking, reading, and singing into our lives.

Talking, reading, and singing with young children every day throughout the day helps to build important connections early in life. It’s important to have those moments with our children, which can help aid in healthy brain development as they continue to grow, plus it’s just a whole lot of fun!! First 5 California created Talk. Read. Sing.®, and withScholastic have developed a program with resources to help you do this.

5 Simple Ways to Talk. Read. Sing. More With Your Kids

Making Everyday Things Fun – Make ordinary things fun, like cleaning up with a fun clean it up song. Or spend time counting objects around your living room as you pickup from afternoon playtime.

Talk About Anything – Your kids will learn so much from talking with them, and as they get older, engaging by asking them questions is a great way to find out how much your kids know or what they are thinking.

Engage With Numbers – Numbers are a great way to teach kids. Teach your kids to say each number, and as they get older go over the numbers in English and Spanish. This is another simple way to talk with with your kids and teach them at the same time, building healthy and strong connections. Numbers are a great way to also keep track of things, counting objects at the park, or even while shopping at the store. It’s another fun and simple way to engage with your little one while teaching them.

Don’t Be Afraid To Sing – Think about songs you loved growing up, teach your little one a fun song, even start with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Make time for song in your day. Maybe while driving in the car, during school pickup, or while at the park. Visit the Talk. Read. Sing.®site for more songs.

Incorporate Reading Wherever You Are – Reading with your children is important, so incorporating reading into your daily routine is a great way to develop strong reading skills. Start with reading before bed. This allows some time to spend with your children before putting them to sleep. I also like to find other ways to incorporate reading like at the grocery store, or reading the signs on the street while we drive. Also an app like the Talk. Read. Sing. App is a great one to have on my phone—it provides parents with daily activities to do anywhere!

One thing I always want to make sure is that I’m spending meaningful moments with my girls. So be it cuddling up with our favorite friends and a good book or singing our favorite songs, I want my children to remember their childhoods as engaging and enriching times where they didn’t just spend time on devices. Find great easy-to-use tools to engage your kids at the Talk. Read. Sing.® site.

The site includes fun kids’ songs in English and Spanish, and charts to fill out together to track how often you talk, read, and sing. The site also includes bilingual – Spanish and English – parent resources such as a prompts to print out and take with you to Talk. Read. Sing.® while out and about. The app is now available on the App Store and Google Play. Search for First 5 California Talk. Read. Sing.

What are some fun and simple ways that you talk, read, and sing with your kiddos?

About Kristin

Hi, I'm Kristin mom of three, runner and dorky dancer. Our Ordinary Life is a family lifestyle site that is focused on our life with our girls in Southern California. We enjoy spending time outdoors being active as a family and living a healthy lifestyle is also important to us. That's while you'll also find delicious recipes and the latest from our family at Our Ordinary Life!

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Hello, we are Kristin and Del the parents behind Our Ordinary Life. We are an active family with three girls living in Orange County, California. Our passion is in living well and having fun while doing it. We’ve been sharing our journey for years and we hope you’ll join us. Click here to learn more about us.

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Hello, we are Kristin and Del the parents behind Our Ordinary Life. We are an active family with three girls living in Orange County, California. Our passion is in living well and having fun while doing it. We’ve been sharing our journey for years and we hope you’ll join us. Click here to learn more about us.